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Please leave your luggage in the hotel reception each morning (by 9am at the latest) so that it can be transferred to your next hotel. Make sure that your luggage is clearly labelled with the nametag provided. In case of any issues with the luggage transfer, please contact Tuitrans on (+34) 638 55 52 53.
Your bike fitting is scheduled for FECHA at HORA in LUGAR. In case of any issues, please contact ENCARGADO.
Call the Bike Spain Tours office on +34 915 590 653, or out of office hours call +34 677 356 586. We will get you where you need to be and get you the help you need.
In order to prove your status as a pilgrim (and be awarded your Compostela pilgrim certificate once you arrive in Santiago), you will need to obtain a credencial (pilgrim passport) at the start of your journey. In Porto, you can get your credencial from the Albergue de Peregrinos Porto (open daily 2:30pm – 8pm) or from Porto Cathedral (open daily 9am – 6:30pm). The credencial costs 2€, payable in cash.
Once you have your credencial, make sure that you get it stamped at least twice per day as you travel to Santiago. You can receive stamps in hotels, restaurants, churches, bars, cafés and many other places that you might visit along the way; we recommend that you try to get as many stamps as possible to turn your credencial into a unique souvenir of your trip!
Day 1: Porto
Accommodation: Hotel Eurostars das Artes
Welcome to the Camino, and the start of an amazing tour!
Once you’ve checked into your accommodation, you will need to obtain your credencial (pilgrim passport) from the Albergue de Peregrinos Porto (open daily 2:30pm – 8pm) or from Porto Cathedral (open daily 9am – 6:30pm). The credencial costs 2€, payable in cash. You will need to get this stamped twice a day at hotels, restaurants and anywhere else you might visit in order to be awarded your certificate of pilgrimage once you arrive in Santiago!
At leisure in Porto
The city of Porto, built along the hillsides overlooking the mouth of the Douro river, is an outstanding urban landscape with a 2,000-year history. The historic centre, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar, are recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Eating and drinking in Porto
Day 2: Porto – Vila do Conde
Route: 40.6 km/25.2 miles
Elevation: +267m/+875 ft
Accommodation: Villa C Boutique Hotel
The Camino begins!
Your first cycle route takes you along the banks of the Douro River all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, to follow the coast northwards past long, sandy beaches. If all that cycling makes you peckish, you’ll find plenty of beachfront grills that will barbecue freshly-caught fish for you to give you energy for the next part of your ride!
You’ll find plenty of opportunities for a swim among the way, at the many beaches or at Piscina das Marés (open daily in summer 9am – 7pm: the seawater swimming pool designed by famous Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza Vieira.
You’ll spend the night in Vila do Conde, a pretty town built during the Portuguese Golden Age, or the ‘age of discovery’, when mariners set sail for sub-Saharan Africa and India for the first time.
The town’s skyline is dominated by the imposing Monastery of Santa Clara, as well as the aqueduct that was built in the 18th century to bring water to the monastery and of which nearly 1000 arches still remain.
At leisure in Vila do Conde
Vila do Conde is a favourite with daytripping locals, who are attracted to its beautiful beaches, excellent food and relaxed ambience.
Eating and drinking in Vila do Conde
For dinner, we recommend Restaurante o Cangalho (open Tue – Sat 8pm – 11pm) or Os Eusébios to replace some of those calories with a traditional francesinha (open Tue – Sun 7pm – 11pm).
Day 3: Vila do Conde – Viana do Castelo
Route: 52.1 km/32.4 miles
Elevation: +330m/+1083 ft
Accommodation: Hotel Melo Alvim
Today’s route continues northwards along the coastline, passing by sand dunes and traditional windmills. At Fao, you’ll cross the bridge over the river Cádavo and into Esposende, where you’ll follow the estuary before turning slightly inland to explore ancient medieval town such as Castelo do Neiva, whose Benedictine monastery dates back to the 11th century, before crossing the 19th century bridge, designed by famous French architect Gustav Eiffel, over the River Lima into Viana do Castelo.
You’ll spend tonight in the picturesque town of Viana do Castelo, overlooked by the hilltop Basilica del Sagrado Corazón, which was inspired by the Sacre Coeur in Paris.
At leisure in Viana do Castelo
Eating and drinking in Viana do Castelo
Your hotel has its own excellent craft beer bar and restaurant; however, if you would like to explore the town further, we recommend popular local option Casa Primavera-Taberna Soares (open Wed – Sat and Mon 5pm – 10pm)
Day 4: Viana do Castelo – Baiona
Route: 60.4 km/37.5 miles
Elevation: +526m/1727 ft
Accommodation: Parador de Baiona
Today you’ll enjoy fabulous views as you continue to follow the coastline north, passing by ancient monasteries and small popular shrines, to the pretty fishing village of Vila Praia de Âncora, where we’ll enjoy a ride along the seafront boulevard, which borders the town’s beach, fininishing at the star-shaped Lagarteira fort, which has protected the town from sea attacks since the mid 17th century. If you fancy a bite to eat, we recommend Casa dos Caracois (open Thu – Tue 11am – 3pm), which specialises in snails!
Heading out of Vila Praia de Âncora, we’ll pass by the clifftop chapel and cross of San Isidrio until we reach the medieval border town of Caminha. Don’t miss the rude gargoyle at the church of Nossa Senhora da Assunção, a symbol of the historic enmity between Portugal and Spain!
In Caminha, you’ll take a boat across the River Miño to begin the Spanish portion of your journey! The boat service is run by Xacobeo Transfer, with hourly departures between 7:30am and 5:30pm from Puerto Sporting Club Caminhense. Tickets cost 8€, payable locally in cash or online. If purchasing online, make sure to select the bike rate, and the correct journey option: Caminha (Portugal) to A Pasaxe – Camposancos (A Guarda – España).
Your camino continues in the charming fishing village of A Guarda, where we recommend a brief stop to admire the colourful fishermen’s houses and the Plaza do Reló, the heart of the medieval old town. Those interested in history might consider cycling up Monte de Santa Tegra to visit the fortified celtic town at the top of the hill, which dates back to the 4th century BC (this diversion entails an additional: 7km/+350m).
From A Guarda, you’ll follow a coastal cycle path along one of the wilder portions of Spain’s Atlantic coast. Shortly after leaving the town, you’ll spot some traditional cetáreas: rockpools once used to store captured crustaceans before transporting them to be sold.
Along the way, you’ll pass by the beautiful beachfront Monastery de Santa María de Oia, which dates back to the 12th century, and the Bronze Age Castro de A Cabeciña. We also recommend a photo stop at the beautiful Vello de Silleiro lighthouse.
Once in Baiona, you can spend some time exploring the city’s atmospheric historic centre and quaint fishing port. The town’s most important historic building is the Castelo de Monterreal, a medieval fortress that still retains the cannons once used to defend the town from pirates, and which offers fabulous views over the bay from the parapet. Nowadays, it is a luxury hotel; your hotel for the night, in fact!
At leisure in Baiona
Eating and drinking in Baiona
Your hotel has its own excellent in-house restaurant with spectacular views over the bay and the Cíes Islands. Don’t miss the sight of the sun setting into the Atlantic Ocean!
If you would like to explore the town further, we recommend the seafront Taberna Mendoza (open for dinner Mon – Sat).
Day 5: Baiona – Pontevedra
Route: 66.8 km/41.5 miles
Elevation: +905m/2968 ft
Accommodation: Parador de Pontevedra
Today, the Camino takes you around the bay of Baiona and over the Romanesque bridge into A Ramallosa and continues inland towards Vigo, Galicia’s largest city. It’s well worth stopping here to admire the many sculptures that decorate the city, including one dedicated to Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and to enjoy the city’s fantastic tapas culture. Some of our favourites are Taberna A Pedra (open 12pm – 4pm Wed – Sun), O Portón, situated on the famous fishermen’s street (open 12pm – 4pm Wed – Sun), Detapaencepa (open daily 12:30 – 4pm) and Tapas Areal (open daily 1:30pm – 4:30pm).
Leaving Vigo behind, we’ll follow a vía verde (disused railway line converted into a traffic-free cycle path) towards Redondela, passing by the Rande Bridge. Here in 1702, a fleet of Spanish galleons were sunk, along with their treasure of New World gold, by a British-Dutch fleet. The gold was never found, so keep an eye out for it as you pass by! In Rande, you can also take a brief detour (4km/+175m) up to the Miradoiro do Campo de Rata, where you can sit on “the best bench in the world” and enjoy fabulous views over the bay!
You’ll continue on to the pretty town of Redondela, known locally as the villa de los viaductos due to the two imposing railway bridges constructed towards the end of the 19th century. Your next stop is Arcade, famous for the oysters that are cultivated in the Vigo esturary, which you can try at one of the town’s many marisquerías. Leaving Arcade, you’ll cross the medieval bridge into Pontesampio, and from here follow the course of the River Tomenza into Pontevedra.
You’ll spend the night in the interesting Camino city of Pontevedra. Pontevedra is the capital of the Rías Baixas albariño wine region, so we highly recommend trying some of this light Galician white wine.
At leisure in Pontevedra
Eating and drinking in Pontevedra
Your hotel has its own excellent restaurant, specialising in fresh seafood from the Rías Baixas. If you would like to explore the city a little more, we recommend a tapas crawl around the old quarter to try the local seafood.
Day 6: Pontevedra – Santiago de Compostela
Route: 65.3 km/40.6 miles
Elecation: +986m/+3234 ft
Accommodation: Hostal Reyes Católicos
The Camino today takes you out of Pontevedra and towards the spa town of Caldas de Reis, situated at the confluence of the rivers Bermaña and Umia, and well-known for its geothermal hot springs. At Aldeíña and Caldas, you have the oppotrunity of taking a short detour to visit beautiful waterfalls, where you can still see some traditional Galician muiños (windmills).
Once in Caldas de Reis, we recommend a snack stop at taberna O Muiño (open Tue – Sun, 1pm – 3:30pm) , which has been serving up fish from the nearby river Umia since 1947. Trout and lamprey, often served in empanadas (pies) are among the traditional local specialties.
From here, you’ll continue north along quiet forest paths towards the town of Padrón, famous for the small green peppers of the same name. We highly recommend that you make a quick stop in the two main squares – Praza das Traviesas and Praza de Macías – to try a tapa of freshly fried and salted peppers, but remember the saying: “Padrón peppers, some are hot, and others are not!” If you’re still hungry, add a tapa of pulpo: the famous Galician octopus.
In Padrón, you can also visit the church of Santiago (open Wed – Mon 10am – 9pm), which houses the pedrón: a block of granite that was once part of a Roman temple to Neptune and which is said to have served as mooring for the boat that carried the remains of Saint James from the Holy Land to Galicia.
Leaving Padrón behind, you’ll face one last climb up to Santiago de Compostela and the end of your journey!
The official end-point of the Camino in Santiago de Compostela is the Cathedral, located in Plaza del Obradoiro. We recommend taking a break in the plaza to celebrate your achievement and soak up the amazing atmosphere. There is something indescribably human about the sight of hundreds of daily pilgrims arriving into the plaza, just as countless others have done over the centuries.
Inside the Cathedral, pilgrims traditionally embrace the statue of St James and visit his tomb. If you’d like to carry out this ritual, you can enter the Cathedral via Porta de Acibechería in Plaza da Inmaculada (daily from 8:30am – 9pm).
When you’re ready, you can visit the Pilgrim’s Office at Rúa das Carretas, 33 (open daily 10am – 6pm), where you can obtain the Compostela: the document certifying you as an official pilgrim! You can also request the Certificate of Distance, which reflects the start point of your pilgrimage, the number of kilometres travelled and the start and finish dates. This Certificate costs 3€, payable in cash at the Pilgrim Office.
Pilgrim’s Mass takes place in the Cathedral daily at 7:30am, 9:30am, 12:00pm and 7:30pm. At the beginning of the Pilgrim’s Mass, a list of the number of pilgrims who have been received in the Pilgrims’ Office in the last 24 hours is read out. Where they have travelled from and where they began their pilgrimage is also read out at the beginning of the service. If you’re lucky, you might even see the Botafumeiro, the enormous censer filled with incense and swung over the heads of mass attendees to counteract the smell of recently-arrived pilgrims!
At leisure in Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela was, without a doubt, the most important city in Christian medieval Spain. It’s world-renowned for its cultural and religious significance, and each year thousands of travellers come to visit.
Eating and drinking in Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela also has a fantastic tapas culture. You will receive one free tapa per drink purchased, so we recommend that you stick with small glasses of albariño wine! Some of our favourites are Bar La Tita (enormous portions of tortilla) Petiscos do Cordeal (seafood), Benboa (seafood), Viñoteca Ventosela (cheese and charcuterie), Raices Gallegas (traditional Galician dishes including zorza and raxo) and Orella (pig’s ear). We also recommend a visit to Casa Antonio, which serves wine in a traditional Galician cunca (bowl)!
Day 7: Departure
After breakfast, our tour will come to an end.
We hope you had a great time on your pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.
If you need any help with your onward plans, please feel free to contact our Bike Spain Tours team!
Eurostars das Artes
The Eurostars Das Artes Hotel comprises two buildings, one historical and the other modern, and has a sky-blue tiled facade to welcome guests.
This hotel is located in the center of Porto. It is surrounded by art and culture and it’s the perfect place for someone looking to enjoy a good port wine. Elegance and good taste invade all corners of the hotel.
Villa C Boutique Hotel
Villa C Boutique Hotel is located on the south bank of the River Ave, in Azurara. This 4-star property features a luxury spa and rooms with a balcony.
This boutique hotel features a restaurant, a bar, a spa, a gym and conference rooms making it the perfect spot for business and leisure. In addition, the hotel features a lobby market, a grocery store and an outdoor lounge.
Hotel Casa Melo Alvim
Casa Melo Alvim hotel is located in the historic centre of Viana do Castelo.
It is the oldest urban manor house in the town, having been built in 1509 in the Manueline style. This manor house has been carefully restored, and transformed into a comfortable and welcoming 4 star hotel.
Guests can enjoy a luxury breakfast in the cozy bar with live piano music. A Baroque-style staircase leads to the upper floors and the library.
Parador de Baiona
To the south of the Rías Baixas, protected by the sea and with views over the beautiful Bay of Baiona, is the peninsula of Monterreal. There, we find the Parador de Baiona: a historical castle with spectacular views of the ocean.
A mix between a medieval castle and a Galician stately home, the Parador offers regal and elegant rooms, carefully decorated to will take you back in time to another age. Outstanding features include the majestic stone stairway in the reception area and a huge garden, equipped with a large swimming pool, from where you can view the entire bay.
Parador de Pontevedra
You will be welcomed by a stately carved stone staircase.The building is decorated with beautiful antiques and classic furniture.
The Parador, once the residence of the counts of Maceda, is located in the old quarter of the magnificent city of Pontevedra. It combines regal, noble and stately styles with charming rural elements. The surrounding area invites you to visit coves and beaches, and to enjoy fine seafood and excellent wine.
Parador de Santiago – Hostal Reis Catolicos
The Parador de Santiago is a blend of history, art and tradition. It is the dream stay for pilgrims and the emblem of Santiago.
The hotel is located in Obradoiro Square near the cathedral, creating an area of spectacular beauty in one of the most visited provincial capitals in the world. A stay at this Parador means a visit to a truly unique and exclusive location.
1.660,00€
Our self-guided tour along the Portuguese Way takes pilgrims across the border from Portugal to Spain, discovering the unique history and culture of the millennial route of the Camino de Santiago.
| Dates | Any date up to Oct 31 2024 |
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